Davydenko Hits Back ©ProSport / B. Mackness

Having survived the five-set threat posed by unheralded Australian Chris Guccione in the second round, men’s sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko lifted his game a gear against dangerous floater Gael Monfils in the third round. When play was abandoned on Monday due to rain, Davydenko was poised for victory at 6-3, 7-5, 3-0.

Flamboyant Frenchman Monfils, 20, threw himself around the court – all but colliding with a linesman at one stage – but could not unsettle the disciplined 26-year-old Russian, who fought against his natural inclination to battle from the baseline and charged the net to great effect on key points.

Davydenko came out firing, moving his younger opponent around the court to secure the early break with a crosscourt forehand pass. He held onto the advantage for the duration of the first set as Monfils, currently ranked 73, struggled to find his groove.

But Monfils has good grass court credentials – he was Wimbledon boys’ champion in 2004, and followed up that achievement by reaching the third round of the Main Draw a year later – and by the second set Monfils he had begun to dictate points. Despite needing an injury timeout for treatment to his thigh, he broke to lead 4-3. On a crucial point in the next game, however, he stumbled onto the turf as he completed his service action, delivering to Davydenko an easy opportunity to level the score.

Proceedings remained on an even keel until Davydenko earned a break point at 6-5, and he clinched the second set with a backhand volley deep into the Frenchman’s court.

Davydenko is gunning for his third Grand Slam quarter-final of the year, having reached the last eight in Melbourne and the semis at Roland Garros. The Russian, who had never previously made it past the second round at SW19, was making imperious progress through the third set when rain stopped play at 3-0. The players returned to a different court, Court 14, at 8.15pm but even before they could warm up, a sudden downpour dashed any hopes of resuming play.

The winner of this match, to resume on Tuesday, will play No.10 seed Marcos Baghdatis in the fourth round after the Cypriot beat Argentina’s David Nalbandian in straight sets.

Written by Adam Lincoln

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Nikolay Davydenko
Gael Monfils

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